UNDC STATEMENT

UNITED NATIONALITIES' DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS
STATEMENT
Dated New Delhi, the 4th January, 1997
"UNION OF BURMA" is an amalgamated state of multi
nationalities.
The leaders of Kachin, Chin and Shane, believing that the
freedom would be more speedily achieved by the frontier nations
through the co-operation with the Burmese: based on the right to
secede after attainment of freedom from confederation with Burma if
an when they chose, signed PANGLONG AGREEMENT on
February 12, 1947. Due to this agreement obtained from British
Rule on January 4, 1948.
From 1948 until 1962, the country was ruled by a
parliamentary democratic government by the constitution drafted on
2nd September 1948. According to article 201 of the said
constitution, the nationalities had, in theory, the right to secede from
the Union, but under article 202, this right was not to be exercised
within ten years from the date on which that constitution came into
operation. Proper Burma, where the Burma the Burma resides was
recognized as the " Mother Country ", which was more powerful
than the state and had the privilege of forming the Union
Government. And the Burmese Leaders sought to amend the Union
Constitution in 1961. These causes have drawn the non Burma
Ethnic-groups into insurgency.
On March 2, 1962, the elite of Revolutionary Council led by
General Ne Win over governance through a coup d'etat and installed
its " Burmese way to Socialism" . The country was then governed
without a constitution until 1974. The country plunged into
economic chaos under the totalitarian party so called " Burma
Socialist Programme Party (BSPP).
In 1988, once again, nation-wide demonstration, which
reflected the rejection of the oppression of military-dominated BSPP
party, was trampled down by the military in the form of State Law
and Order Restoration Council (SLORC)
In this way, nationalities have lost their fundamental rights
and self determination now and then. The people of Burma have
been deprived of all civil and political rights. Economic negligence,
turmoil and war-weary have plagued the people for over four
decades.
Recognizing above factor, the UNITED NATIONALITIES'
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS:-
DEMAND the SLORC to abandon its terrorism, and to respect
human rights, the real desire of the people, equal & individual rights
of nationalities which is prerequisite to the establishment of a federal
union.
CALL ON the SLORC for urgent tripartite - dialogue between
the leaders of Nationalities, Democratic Groups led by Aung San
Suu Kyi and the SLORC.
URGE peace loving international community to exert
pressure on the SLORC to suspend its atrocity, and to support
democratic activities inside and outside Burma.
The member organizations of UNDC:
1. Arakan League for Democracy (in Exile), ALD
2. Chin National Council, (C.N.C)
3. All Burma Young Monks' Union (Arakan), ABYMU
4. Arakan, Chin and Kachin Students' Joint Committee.
a) All Arakan Students and Youth Congress (AASYC)
b) Chin Students Union (CSU)
c) All Kachin Students and Youth Union (AKSYU).
UNDC.